Mike Fleming

For
far too long our online efforts have accurately been classified as
faith-based initiatives...that's exactly how we made decisions for our
offline efforts, and when we moved online, we duplicated those
practices. But online, in the glorious beautiful world of the Web, we do not have to rely on faith...you have a God-given right to be data-driven...to understand the impact and economic value of your website by doing rigorous outcomes analysis...web analytics is like Angelina Jolie; sexy, powerful, and a force for good.

Highest Paid vs. Data

In
a typical business, the highest paid person's opinion usually wins.
This does not mean that their opinion is always the most informed
though. It's just the most powerful. The problem is that it is also the least accountable.
But, in the world of the Web, there's a new sheriff in town. Data.
This is because data (when used correctly) can provide accountability
for decisions made.

It gives us a basis for determining if a
decision is working or not. Previously, if the highest paid person
thought the billboard should be a certain color, there was no way to
tell if that was the right choice or not. Now, when the highest paid
person believes that a button on a site should be changed, he can be
held accountable for that belief. Either the change gets better results
or it doesn't. Do you see how this changes the whole game?

When
it comes to something as important as marketing your business, why would
you rely on your opinion when you can swim in facts? Allow the facts to
show you what to do rather than take shots in the dark. We've moved into a time where data and (more importantly) the people who turn data into changes that make more profit should be higher paid people.

Your turn: What do you have to add? Learn anything new? Have anything to correct?

About the Author

Mike Fleming specializes in Analytics and Paid Search for Pole Position Marketing, a leading search engine optimization and marketing firm helping businesses grow since 1998. You can follow Mike on Twitter at @SEMFlem. Mike enjoys playing, writing and recording music along with playing basketball to get his workout in. He resides in Canton, Ohio with a girl who threw a snowball at him one day…then married him.

Mike and the team at Pole Position are available to help clients expand their online presence and grow their businesses. Contact them via their site or by phone at 866-685-3374.

Comments(1)

What baffles me is that we have access to lots of data as marketers, but some businesses either ignore it or choose not to listen to what the data is telling you. Sure, it's time consuming to comb through it all, but it serves a purpose! Ignoring the data and "going with your gut" is never recommended.

Read by small business people, our newsletter delivers a digest of articles from the top search engine marketing experts. You will learn about:

getting better Google rankings

search engine optimization

link popularity

pay per click advertising

viral marketing

increasing traffic

contextual advertising

search engine submissions

brand building

making more sales

and much more...

Our newsletter is the perfect way to stay up to date with all of the latest trends, events and techniques in using search engines to grow your business and make more sales. Subscribe here. Your email address will NOT be given to third parties.

FreeFind Site Search Engine - FreeFind adds a "search this site" feature to your website, making your site easier to use. FreeFind also gives you reports showing what your visitors are searching for, enabling you to improve your site. FreeFind's advanced site search engine and automatic site map technology can be added to your website for free.